The Bloodline

Chapter 11, The Bloodline

Chapter 11

The trees were losing their leaves on this warm fall day, and people stood in the cemetery, a sea of black surrounding the mahogany coffin that held his mother's body. It was strewn with roses, red and white, her favorites. Andy had forgotten how much she loved roses and was hit by a wave of sadness because he felt nothing for someone he should have loved.

For the entire ceremony, he watched Delores, spotting her in the back, where some of the staff lingered, crying softly. He pitied her, wondering how she could have loved a woman like his mother, wondering too if there was a side of Caroline that she had known and that Andy never would.

Listening to the minister speak about Caroline, he realized he didn't know anything about the woman who had given birth to him. She was a stranger to him, a mystery. For all the reasons Caroline had done what she'd done, he didn't understand how someone could live the way she had.

He hadn't been listening, and he realized the minister had finished as mourners started to leave. He felt a hand on his arm. His cousin Brad, tall, dark, and a little more filled out than he was. He was the oldest of Andy's generation, the one they tended to look up to, Jed and Neil's big brother.

"How you doing?" He pulled Andy into a hug, patting his back, and Andy realized how much he missed his family. This branch of the family had showed him what family really was.

"I'm good. Glad to see you. You didn't have to come, but I'm glad you did."

Neil butted in, wearing a black suit, his beard trimmed close. His dark hair was still on the longish side, wavy and covering his ears. He wondered whether his cousin was keeping this new look. "Hey, we're here for you. You heard what Mom said: No matter what, we stick together. Besides, we just want to make sure you finish up here and get back to that sweet little wife of yours and the community of kids you've started."

He shoved at Neil playfully as Jed appeared, holding Diana's hand.

"Diana, you look good," Andy said. "Jed." He shook his cousin's hand and leaned down to kiss Diana's cheek.

"Dad's over with Uncle Todd. Said to tell you," Jed said. He had an odd expression on his face. Diana looked beautiful with her creamy pale skin, bright blue eyes, and deep red hair, which was now growing out to shoulder length.

"You should come and stay with us, Andy," Diana added, glancing up at Jed.

He wanted to smile, and his heart felt full at the way they were circling him. "Appreciate it, Diana, I really do, but I don't plan on staying long. Should hopefully have nothing more to do after today and be home to Laura tomorrow." He had tried calling her when he woke, but there had been no answer. He'd expected her to call back, but she hadn't. He'd call again back at the estate. This was unlike her. Maybe he'd call Kim, get her to swing by and look in on Laura.

Diana was the only woman standing with him and his cousins, and even he noticed the looks they were getting, four strapping dudes in dark suits and their good looks. That was what Laura would have said. He smiled.

"It's too bad Laura couldn't come," Diana said. "Would've liked to have seen your new baby. Did you bring pictures?"

Andy couldn't help grinning as he pulled out his cell phone with an image of Laura holding Sarah after she'd given birth. To him, it was beautiful even though Laura's hair was a mess and she looked tired after hours of laboring. It was the one picture she didn't like shown and the one that meant more to him than all of them, maybe because it showed her love and vulnerability. "You know I just didn't want her here, in this scene, around this. She wanted to come." He held the phone out to Diana.